NCAPA Weekly Roundup | March 20 - 27, 2017

Posted on March 27, 2017

The latest AAPI news from NCAPA and its member organizations.

UPDATES

Reaction to Health Care Victory

House Republicans withdrew their health care bill Friday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, one day after the seventh anniversary of the ACA. NCAPA members mobilized the AANHPI community, urging them to call their member of Congress to protect health care for all Americans. The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum said this was a testament to community action across the nation and will continue efforts to make affordable health care more accessible.

NCAPA Responds to White House Budget Blueprint

NCAPA and several members expressed serious concern in response to the White House Budget Blueprint, which would reduce or eliminate critical funding for programs and agencies that help our communities.

NCAPA, Members Condemn Recent and Rising Hate Violence

More than 150 organizations, including 16 NCAPA members and additional AAPI groups across the country, joined a Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights statement calling on the Executive Branch to take a firmer stand against hate incidents. NCAPA also endorsed the No Hate Act, which was introduced by Senator Blumenthal and Representative Beyer and would strengthen the federal hate crimes law and create incentives for law enforcement to submit complete hate crime reports.

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) joined Sen. Ben Cardin in a roundtable; held a Congressional briefing; and convened a Know Your Rights town hall on hate crimes. The briefing featured remarks from Members of Congress such as CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva. SAALT partnered with leaders from the Sikh Coalition, Washington Peace Center/D.C. Justice for Muslims Coalition, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and Arab American Institute, who further discussed the effects of hate incidents and rhetoric.

Cambodian refugee Chamroeun Phan was issued an emergency stay of removal by an immigration judge and Phan's immigration case has been reopened. #ReleaseMN8 is a campaign that was started to help eight Cambodian Americans from Minnesota detained by ICE that NCAPA member Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) is helping to amplify.

Judge Amul R. Thapar Nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson in Hawaii blocked President Trump’s second Muslim Ban on Wednesday, hours before it was to take effect. In Maryland, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang was the second to block the revised ban.

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Executive Director and former NCAPA chair Gregory Cendana announced he will transition from APALA in June. Bill Yoshino of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) also announced his retirement. NCAPA thanks Cendana and Yoshino for their service to NCAPA and to our AAPI communities.

A story about Chinatowns across the country battling gentrification mentions a report from National CAPACD and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement on anti-displacement. (Melissa Hung, NPR)

Interim Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum Sung Yeon Choimorrow wrote a blog about her positive experience with the ACA and how the Republican ACA repeal bill would be damaging for communities. (Sung Yeon Choimorrow, The Huffington Post)

ACTION ALERTS & RESOURCES

The Arkansas legislature passed a racist abortion ban, HB 1434, which targets Asian American communities and restrict legal access to abortion for AAPIs. Read more about these racist bans and call Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson at 501-682-2345 to tell him to veto HB 1434.

Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [City, State, Zip Code], and I urge you to NOT fund President Trump’s wall, deportation force and detention centers. Our tax dollars should be spent on programs that help our communities thrive, like public education, child care, affordable housing. We should not be rounding up our community members. I support immigrant and refugee communities.

NAKASEC’s Immigrant Rapid Response Plan

-Share and use this number for families with immigration questions: 1-844-500-DACA or 1-844-500-3222 (Assistance available in Korean & English)

-Know Your Rights materials and trainings in Korean and English.-The Dream Show webisode series on YouTube shares policy updates and episodes are produced in Korean.

Stop Neil Gorsuch

Call your senators now (202-224-3121) and tell them to #StopGorsuch in his nomination to be a Supreme Court Justice.

Share your FAFSA experience

Take SEARAC’S FAFSA Survey to help inform policymakers how to better support first-generation AAPI students with limited English proficiency in completing the FAFSA.